Taking Off the Mask
by jadedXelement
Summary: Rating for a bit swearing in the story. A short story about Julie and a small rough night and a talk she has with a fellow duck. Julie/Ken story. A romance only if you want it to be. Review if you can. Enjoy :D


Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters from the movie Mighty Ducks.  
  
Taking off the Mask  
  
Julie sat in her room, tapping her pen against her desk. It had been hours since she started studying. And she was beginning to get a headache with the many phone calls she was getting from people to come out and party. Placing the pen down she began to try and massage her head. Giving up she turned to her book. She was about to start reading again when she heard someone at the door.  
  
"You were sitting there when I left you." Yelled her roommate Connie, who was standing at the door.  
  
"Catlady, stop studying your freaking me out." Joked Charlie as he walked into the room following Connie. "Your already a A student why do you have to always study?"  
  
Julie turned around slowly and gave a smile to the two teammates but then ended up rolling her eyes as she saw them kissing.  
  
"Sorry Jules." Commented Connie as she saw Julie's face, she gently pushed Charlie away and began to walk towards her. "You know you should get out more." She replied as she stood behind Julie's chair.  
  
"Yeah I know. But you know, unlike you there aren't many great guys out there like our oh so fearful duck captain." Julie replied referring to Charlie, as she closed her book, knowing quite well that she would not be able to do anymore studying that night.  
  
Connie glanced at Charlie who was sitting at her bed as he gave her confused shrug. With no help from her boyfriend Connie turned her attention back to Julie.  
  
"Oh come on Julie. Give yourself more credit. There are tons of guys in the school that adore you." Responded Connie.  
  
"Yah, there sure is." Commented Charlie with a voice she knew he wasn't laying.  
  
Julie rolled her eyes; it was the start of the normal conversation they would go into every time the two found Julie at the room after their date. It was like no matter how many times it had happened they'd always seem to go into it.  
  
"Yah Jules, come on let us hook you up. We could you know double date!" exclaimed Connie as she sat down next to Charlie, as he sat down next to her agreeing.  
  
"Oh come on guys let's not start." Julie said as she began to tap her pen once again against the desk.  
  
"Julie ." Connie began.  
  
"Come on Connie, not tonight." Julie simply said dropping the pen unto the table, as she stood up from her desk. "Not tonight." She replied her voice tired, as she grabbed a jacket she had laid out on her bed. "I'm leaving." She replied as she reached the door.  
  
"Oh come on Julie you can hang out with us." Suggested Charlie as he stood up.  
  
"Yah come on Julie." Connie added trying to fix the situation that had gone oh so bad.  
  
Julie just shook her head slowly and declined opened the door and closed it slowly. Julie sighed as she slightly leaned against the door. No offense to her two friends she couldn't stand to be in the room with them. She felt like they were trying too hard to make her feel comfortable which made things worst. She closed her eyes as she could hear their voices talking from inside.  
  
"It always ends like this. For the past month it's always like this." Connie's voice had cried out in the room.  
  
"We can't blame her. Maybe we're just pushing her each time we come here." Charlie said his voice trying to soothe her.  
  
"I don't know Charlie, I just want her to be ok. You know?" replied Connie, with that Julie opened her eyes and looked up and sighed.  
  
"I'm sure she is. But she just needs to be ok on her own time." Replied Charlie.  
  
Julie closed her eyes at Charlie's last commented, leaning forward she walked away from her room. It had been a month already since her and Scooter had broken up. They had been going out for 3 months, and going into their 3rd month they had been going through complications, which caused them to break up. And yet it was still causing problems in her life.  
  
Shaking the thoughts away, Julie began to walk down the hall. It was already 11 o' clock and Julie knew that most of the people were out at the club or some kind of party. She was thankful that the school had no curfew for them on the weekends. Especially times like this when she needed to get away.  
  
Feeling a bit stuffy in the hallway, Julie headed towards the doors that led to the outside of the school. Stepping outside Julie felt a cold breeze against her face. She let out a sigh, which caused her see a small smoke of air in front of her, then began to jog down the small flight of stairs that would lead to their frontcourt yard.  
  
As she took the last step, she looked towards her left and right deciding for second on which way to go. Concluding to her that at this time it didn't really matter she turned and began to walk down the path on the left.  
  
Looking around she saw some teens walking towards the school. Figuring that they had just come from somewhere she gave no real attention to them and began her usual late night walk of that month.  
  
Several minutes had gone by and Julie continued to see more people returning to their dorms. She wondered where'd they been all coming from. It was hardly ever that she had taken the time to go out lately, only with the ducks or with Connie.  
  
Connie. It had been a long time since she had really gone out with Connie. Ever since Connie and Charlie hooked up, Julie's partying days was somewhat not as frequent. It wasn't fun to go to the parties with just the guys. Although she had to admit she was happy Connie and Charlie got together, I mean it took forever for them realize and admit their feelings. The whole team was practically waiting for the time they would.  
  
And then there were the many times she would go out with Scooter. Their break up was something she never really went into with anyone. Not even Connie. Yah, there was the time it had just happened, she remembered crying to Connie about what had happened. But after that, she never talked about it to any of the ducks. She knew they wanted to know but they never really asked. And would just ask around the subject.  
  
A noise in back of her cut off Julie in her thoughts and had caused her to turn around quickly. She looked at the trees behind her with the dim lights the path lamps had. Scanning the area she realized that no one was any where near her. She swore she had heard something she thought. Shrugging off the sounds that she thought she heard she continued to walk.  
  
Realizing that there were footsteps behind her for the past few minutes, and that she felt as if someone was falling her, she stopped in her steps and called out "Ok, who the hells behind me?" irritated. She was ready to beat the person who was 'stalking' her.  
  
"Sorry." Replied a male's voice behind her.  
  
Turning around Julie was ready to start yelling, but bit her tongue when she realized whom it was. "Ken!" she almost yelled as she saw her teammate standing in front of her a few feet away. "What the hell were you doing just walking behind me. Did you want to scare me or something." Screamed Julie in frustration, it really wasn't her night.  
  
Ken opened his mouth to talk but Julie didn't give him the chance. "Or were you just going to keep following me like some stalker, scaring the shit out of me?" she cried out. And then quickly shut up when she had realized what she had said.  
  
Ken continued to stare at her with a sorry face. "I'm sorry Ken. I didn't mean it." Mumbled Julie feeling a bit terrible for going off at her teammate, although in some ways he did deserve it. I mean what was he doing following her to begin with.  
  
"No its ok Julie. I'm sorry." Replied Ken as he began to slowly approach her.  
  
"What were you doing following me? I mean you were the one earlier right?" she whispered as he finally reached her.  
  
"Yah. Sorry." He answered as he began to walk slowly. Julie turned to give a look, asking for more of an explanation.  
  
"I saw you earlier. I was coming back to the dorms from a party with some of the guys. I was wondering what you were doing walking around so late, so I decided to see what was up." Explained Ken, in a soft voice; as if he was thinking of making sure he was clear, saying the right things.  
  
"Why'd you hide when I turned around? I mean you did right?" she asked slowing down so she could look into his eyes.  
  
"Oh." Replied Ken, as he turned his eyes away from Julie and looked towards the ground. "Yah that was me." he whispered as he began to continue walking. "I saw you, so I started following you. When I was following you it looked like you were in deep thought .. I didn't know whether or not I should talk to you or not. When you turned around I jumped behind the tree because I don't know I didn't want to seem like I was stalking you. Which kind of didn't work." He replied slightly laughing at his last comment. "Sorry if I scared you. I really didn't mean to," he said seriously once his laughter had died down.  
  
"Oh." She replied, realizing why Ken had followed her, why he had hidden. It was making sense. Had she been that obvious that she had so much on her mind when she was walking. Had it shown that much that one of her teammates could see it from a distance?  
  
"Hey you ok?" asked Ken, breaking her thoughts. Stopping in his tracks he stood facing her.  
  
"Yah." Replied Julie facing him for only a second, and allowing her voice to fade off. She slowly walked away towards a bench and took a seat.  
  
"You sure? I mean we're not out on the ice you know. You don't need to wear a mask." Stated Ken, as he took a seat next to her and looked intently at her although she continued to stare straight ahead.  
  
His words had hit her hard, although his voice had seemed so far away at that point it had hit her deep. This whole month she felt like she was wearing a mask, on and off the ice. Even with Connie, she never really wanted to rain on her parade; I mean her and Charlie just started going out. I guess she was just use to acting like everything was ok; I mean everything was ok they just weren't great.  
  
"Julie?" asked Ken he waved his hand in front of face. She had completely forgotten he was there.  
  
"Sorry." She replied as she snapped back to reality.  
  
"Is it about Scooter or something? What's going on?" asked Ken, she could hear the concern in his voice. The genuine tone was there. No strings attached.  
  
Julie made no attempt to answer, instead leaning against the bench and began to look at the sky. She didn't know what was stopping her. He had been right when he had asked if it was about Scooter, at least he was partially the reason. But she didn't want to set herself up for another fall, having Ken tell her that there's so much to be happy about.  
  
"You know you don't need to talk about it with me. I am just another guy on the team, just another friend. I know I'm not as close to you as Connie is or as wise as Charlie is, or even as cool with words as Luis. But, I know one thing you don't need to act like your ok in front of me if your not. I'm not going to make like you should be. Or try and change that fact that your not. You don't need to wear a mask in front of me." Replied Ken in a deep voice, whispering so it wouldn't sound like he was threatening her.  
  
Julie closed her eyes letting Ken's words sink in. This whole time she avoided the team because they made their best efforts to try and make her feel better. But it just made her feel worst. She just wanted to feel like crap and have them there.  
  
Just then she felt the bench move. She sighed softly to herself thinking Ken must have given up in his efforts and left. Julie began to open her eyes when she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder. Her eyes shot opened when she realized that Ken was sitting closer to her now.  
  
Ken smirked as Julie's eyes looked at him. "I don't want you to feel like I'm pushing you. So I'll leave you alone now." He whispered in her ear.  
  
"Ken." Whispered Julie, just as she felt him about to lift up his arm.  
  
"Hmm?" Ken asked as he looked at her leaving his arm around her so he could rest his body against the bench as he was standing slightly, she felt his body tense.  
  
"Can you just sit here with me for now? I mean if you don't want to go back yet?" she asked, hoping he'd keep her company.  
  
"Yah. Sure Julie." He replied, resuming his position, she felt his body loosen the tenseness.  
  
Julie leaned her head against his so she could relax. It was the first time she showed any kind of real affection with any of her teammates. Yah there was the many times they would hug and embrace after a game or seeing each other after one took a vacation but not like this.  
  
"Everyone expects me to be ok you know? After this whole Scooter thing that's what I feel like they expect me to be." replied Julie after a few minutes of complete silence. "I mean I am ok. But there are times when I don't want to be ok, when I need not to be ok. But I feel like I can never act that way. Connie and Charlie are trying to hard to make me feel better, almost the whole team is. Its like they're going out of their way to make me feel comfortable. And its just makes me feel worst." Blurted out Julie.  
  
"Is that why you're wearing this mask?" whispered Ken.  
  
"I guess. I mean its seems easier you know?" answered Julie, as she sighed softly to herself. "I guess I'm just tired of having to act like I'm ok sometimes."  
  
"If it makes you feel better Julie. I meant it when I said you don't need to wear a mask in front of me." replied Ken as he looked into Julie's eyes. Julie stared into his eyes; it was the first time this whole month where she felt totally real, not acting or wearing some stupid mask.  
  
Julie smiled and nodded her head. "Thanks." Whispered Julie as she let out a sigh.  
  
"Your welcome, just believe me ok." Replied Ken as he squeezed her shoulder.  
  
Julie nodded her head and closed her eyes to rest against Ken once more. "How was the party?" asked Julie after several minutes of complete silence, she was quite surprised that he did not bother to remove his arm from around her shoulder. She also felt quite bad for probably putting a dim light on Ken's night.  
  
"Oh. Heh, it was all rite." He replied slightly nodding his head as if he was agreeing with himself.  
  
"Oh, yah? Pretty girls?" asked Julie as she raised her eyebrow, interested to see what he would say.  
  
"Hmm, yah I guess you could say a few?" said Ken, as he smiled slightly to himself.  
  
Julie giggled softly; it was surprising to have Ken answer her question. He was one not to talk about girls so openly like some of the rest of the guys. "Any girl catch your eye?" she asked as she turned her head to face him. She held her breathe for a second when she realized how close their faces were now that she moved.  
  
Ken's eyes just stared at her, and he didn't respond. Julie tensed when she had realized Ken was just staring at her. She slightly moved her face away and blushed at the awkward position she set herself in. She stood up quickly after not giving Ken the chance to answer.  
  
"I think I should head back. Its getting late." She replied, giving a slight smile to Ken.  
  
"I'll walk you back." Offered Ken as he stood up.  
  
"Thanks." Whispered Julie as the two began to walk down the path.  
  
The two friends walked to Julie's room in complete silence, soon enough they were standing in front of her room.  
  
"Thanks Ken. For staying with me," she replied as she stood nervously by her door.  
  
"Hey don't mention it." Answered Ken with one of his best smiles.  
  
"Um, well good night." Whispered Julie as she placed her hand on the doorknob, her back still facing the door.  
  
"Night Julie." Whispered Ken as he continued to wait for Julie to enter the room.  
  
With that Julie slowly opened the door to her room.  
  
"Hey Julie .. I hope you feel better." Ken called out just as Julie was about to enter her room.  
  
Julie turned and smiled at Ken and took a step towards him. "Thank you Ken. I believe you .. and it means a lot to me that I know I can take off my mask when I'm with you." She whispered as she placed her lips on his cheek.  
  
She smiled at Ken's shocked face and turned around and closed her door.  
**Hope you enjoyed my story. I kind of didn't know how to end it so sorry if the ending is so weird. I'd like to say thanks to "yellowlightning" for inspiring me to do a Ken/Julie story. Please Review if you can :D** 


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